Never Skip Kolob Canyon: Zion’s Hidden Gem

Zion National Park is the 2nd most visited national park in all of the United States with 5 million visitors.  But did you know there is a beautiful section called Kolob Canyon that is frequently skipped!?

This northwestern corner of the park is about 45 minutes from the Springdale area of the park.  And because of this distance, it’s estimated that less than 350,000 people see this area at all.  

Kolob Canyon is the hidden gem of Zion National Park and while it is easily missed, it shouldn’t be skipped.  This beautiful area is filled with stunning views, several hiking trails, and limited crowds. 

So let’s dive into everything you need to know before you visit Kolob Canyon!

Important Links (Map, State Park Website, Link to Camping Article)

• Kolob Canyon NPS website
• Timber Creek Overlook Trail – AllTrail link
• Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

Location

Let’s start with the location so you know where we’re talking about.  Kolob Canyon is about 45 minutes from the more commonly used Springdale Entrance to Zion National Park.  

The entrance is right at Exit 40 off of Route I-15, which is 20 minutes south of Cedar City, UT.  If you’re on some sort of amazing road trip, the Kolob Canyon entrance is about 4 hours south of Salt Lake City and about 2 hours northeast of Las Vegas.  

Fees

Since Kolob Canyon is part of Zion National Park, there is an entrance fee to be aware of.  Whether you enter the park by foot, on a motorcycle, or in a car, there is a fee.  Here are the standard fees.

• Standard Vehicle: $35 (Valid for 7 days)
• Motorcycle: $30 (Valid for 7 days)
• Per Person (walking): $20 (Valid for 7 days)
• Snowmobile: $20 (Valid for 7 days)

The typical person/couple/family will pay the standard fee of $35 per vehicle.   This will give them access to the park for 7 days without any additional fees.  

However, if you are planning to visit longer than 7 days, there is an Annual Pass Option! 

Annual Pass Options

If you plan to enter Zion more than 2 times in a year, you’ll want to buy the Annual Pass. But if you want to visit several parks in a year, there are a few options for you.

• Annual Pass – $70 (Entrance to Zion National Park for 12 months)
• America the Beautiful Pass – $80 (Entrance to all federal recreation areas)
• Senior Annual Pass – $20 (Ages 62+ for Entrance to All Parks)
• Senior Lifetime Pass – $80 (Ages 62+ for Lifetime Entrance to All Parks)
• Military Annual Pass – Free (Entrance to All Parks in a year)
• Military Lifetime Pass – Free (Lifetime Entrance to All Parks)

The annual passes are valid for 12 months and the lifetime passes are, you guessed it, valid for a lifetime.  With any of these passes in your possession, you and your ID can enter any federal recreation area with a car-full of guests.  My husband and I have purchased the America the Beautiful Pass for the last 4 years and it has saved us a ton of money! 

Kolob Canyon Visitor Center

The Kolob Canyon Visitor Center is open daily from 8am – 5pm. This visitor center is significantly smaller than the visitor center in Springdale.  However, there is still a bunch of great information here, as well as souvenirs, and rangers to answer your questions.

Address: 3752 E Kolob Canyon Rd, New Harmony, UT 84757

Time to Spend Here

Getting to Kolob Canyon will take you about 45 minutes from Springdale (Zion National Park Visitor Center).  So if you are trying to tackle every section of the park, make sure you leave time for driving.

But what is the bottom line for time spent here?

You’ll want to allow 2+ hours here to do the must do items.  

Kolob Canyon Must Dos

When visiting Kolob Canyon, there are 2 Must Dos if you are short on time.  If you have lots of extra time, there are other incredible trails to hike as well.  But if you are like us and only have a couple hours, you’ll want to do these 2 things.

• Drive the Kolob Canyon Scenic Drive
• Hike the Timber Creek Overlook Trail (1.2 Miles)

Let’s jump right into what to expect when driving the Scenic Drive in Kolob Canyon.  

Scenic Drive

The scenic drive in Kolob Canyon is both beautiful and unique.  For 5 miles, the road will wind you around and around as you pass overlooks and trailheads.  You’ll continue to climb until you reach the Kolob Canyon Viewpoint, or the end of the road.  

This viewpoint offers a picnic area, a beautiful view and the trailhead to the Timber Creek Overlook Trail.  Once you’ve finished what you wanted to see or do here, you’ll go back the way you came on the same windy road until you exit the park.  

The Timber Creek Overlook Trail

If you choose to hike the Timber Creek Overlook Trail, like we did, you’ll park right at the picnic area.  From here you’ll follow the trail markers on a well maintained trail for about 0.6 miles.  You can also use this AllTrails link.  

You’ll then come to the overlook and get to see the lush greenery below you and the intensely red rock out in front of you.  This view is particularly incredible around sunset!  When you’ve had your fill, you’ll head back the way you came.

This trail is pretty easy and doesn’t take long to hike. So what if you want to hike other trails in the area.  

Trails in the Area

In the main area of Zion National Park there are dozens of trails that are quite famous, like the Watchman Trail, Angels Landing and the Narrows.  But in the Kolob Canyon corner of the park, there are just a few trails.  And here they are.  

• Taylor Creek Trail – 5.2 miles round trip
• South Fork Taylor Creek Trail – 3 miles round trip
• La Verkin Creek Trail – 14 miles round trip
• Timber Creek Trail – 1.2 miles round trip

Now there is also the option to hike the La Verkin Trail for 50 miles, all the way to Zion Canyon.  For this option you’ll want to check out the Backpacking Section of the National Park Service website. Here you can find all the information you could need for hiking and camping in the backcountry of Zion National Park.  

But if you are just looking to spend 2 hours here, check out our itinerary below!  

+Our Itinerary

When my husband and I visited the Kolob Canyon area, we only had about 2 hours before sunset.  So here was our estimated itinerary.

• Arrive and check out the Visitor Center – 15 mins
• Drive the Scenic Drive – 20 mins
• Hike the Timber Creek Trail – 1 hour
• Return the way we came – 20 mins

The red rocks of this area seemed to glow in the sunset light.  And while the trail is only about 1.2 miles round trip, we wanted to see the sunset from the lookout.  

If you have a little more time, the South Fork Creek Trail looks incredible!  Honestly I’m bummed we didn’t have time to do this trail as well.  Here’s the AllTrails link. 

But you might be asking yourself, what else is there to do in the area?

Things to do in the area

There are a plethora of things to do in this amazing area of Utah.  As you already know, the main part of Zion National Park is only about 45 minutes away.  Which means Bryce Canyon National Park is only about 2 hours from Kolob Canyon.

There is also the lesser-known Cedar Breaks National Monument.  If you enjoy nature without the insane amount of crowds, I highly recommend Cedar Breaks!

Conclusion

The Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park is an incredible hidden gem.  And while it is easily missed, it shouldn’t be skipped.

With some great hiking trails, beautiful views and even a scenic drive, there is truly something here for everyone.  So don’t skip this little area and be sure to include Kolob Canyon in your next Zion National Park trip!

As always, feel free to email me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions about this area.

-Happy Hiking!